Snake oil: North Korea peddles folk cures as a panacea for all ills



Analysis Snake oil: North Korea peddles folk cures as a panacea for all ills State media promotes traditional remedies as a substitute for modern medicine — but citizens don’t buy the hype Tatiana Gabroussenko October 28, 2021 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON NK News \| Traditional medicine for sale at a store in Pyongyang on Sept. 11, 2018 A glance at the medicine in DPRK mass media is likely to leave the impression that North Koreans live in a medieval society. The monthly magazine Korea Today, special journal Koryo Medicine (고려 의학) and other publications tirelessly extol herbs, moxibustion, acupuncture and all manner of traditional medicine as panaceas for disease. Some of these products suspiciously resemble basic herbal refreshments found in every convenience store in South Korea. A glance at the medicine in DPRK mass media is likely to leave the impression that North Koreans live in a medieval society. The monthly magazine Korea Today, special journal Koryo Medicine (고려 의학) and other publications tirelessly extol herbs, moxibustion, acupuncture and all manner of traditional medicine as panaceas for disease. Some of these products suspiciously resemble basic herbal refreshments found in every convenience store in South Korea. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Analysis

Snake oil: North Korea peddles folk cures as a panacea for all ills

State media promotes traditional remedies as a substitute for modern medicine — but citizens don’t buy the hype

Tatiana Gabroussenko October 28, 2021

Snake oil: North Korea peddles folk cures as a panacea for all ills

NK News | Traditional medicine for sale at a store in Pyongyang on Sept. 11, 2018

A glance at the medicine in DPRK mass media is likely to leave the impression that North Koreans live in a medieval society.

The monthly magazine Korea Today, special journal Koryo Medicine (고려 의학) and other publications tirelessly extol herbs, moxibustion, acupuncture and all manner of traditional medicine as panaceas for disease. Some of these products suspiciously resemble basic herbal refreshments found in every convenience store in South Korea.

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Tatiana Gabroussenko

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